It's not out of the ordinary for a Big League team to face college competition at some point during Spring Training. It's a tradition that several clubs have honored for years as both a showcase for fans and a special treat for the college kids. It is out of the ordinary, however, for a Big League team to lose to college competition. Enter the Baltimore Orioles.
The O's lost 2-1 in a charity game against Miami Florida Florida State State College of Florida on Tuesday and, just as you'd expect, a media frenzy ensued, resulting in two very different spins on the game. First came the more obvious take: your classic doomsday predictions of an 0-162 season. The O's couldn't beat Little Leaguers, nevermind a college team! Or my favorite: Playing the Orioles will kill SCF's RPI! There were also plenty who chose to downplay the significance of the event. After all, it was a charity game, and the bulk of the Baltimore starting lineup was out of the game by the 5th inning. Who cares? They probably just wanted to get their work in and get out of there.
It's a classic "story vs. non-story" debate, and having heard both spins, I was prepared to form my opinion on the matter. But then another factor was thrown into the mix that changed everything: since SCF is already into their season and wanted to save some pitching, there were a few innings that featured Orioles pitchers and catchers playing for the college team. And just like that, what had become such a hot and lively debate got flipped on its head. In my mind, the Oriole vs. Oriole matchups negate the entire story - case dismissed.
But just for fun, let's say the teams played straight up. Now is it a story?
At this point in the Spring? Absolutely. I've played the game, I know the difference in competition, and while baseball is the only sport that offers a college team a realistic chance to beat a professional team, I believe the Major League club should win this game 99 times out of 100. The only exception would be a lights out pitching performance by the college squad's ace (sometimes you just can't beat good pitching). But that'd only be if the game actually meant something and the college team was pitching their stud, playing to win. In today's world of Spring Training exhibition games, the MLB club should win every time.
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| Stay hot, Jose. |
Ahh, baseball sarcasm at its finest. Whenever you are told by a teammate to "stay hot," there is a 100% chance you just embarrassed yourself. This term has become a staple in clubhouses and dugouts because, well, baseball players fail - a lot.
"Stay hot" can be used after a variety of mistakes and failures, but it is truly at its best when applied after a string of mishaps. The ump turning in a series of bad calls, the opposing third baseman committing his second error of the inning, a teammate getting rejected by three straight girls at the bar - it's only right to commemorate their shortcomings with a snarky comment. Stay hot, Blue. Stay hot, Miggy. Stay hot, Youk.
Wow - stay hot, Andruw.
DUGOUT LINGO Series
"By You"
"Ugly-Finder"
"Pick Him Up"
"Poo-Slinger"
The whole concept of the K-Man is hilarious- well, unless it’s you. It’s a tradition that gets the crowd involved with a vested interest, and it’s a smart way to boost concession sales- not to mention it initiates some good-natured ribbing among teammates. The pitcher is battling on behalf of the collective stomach and wallet of the home crowd. The batter is working to maintain his pride and prevent the long walk back to the dugout, bombarded with mock cheers and demeaning Thank-You’s. Strikeouts are never fun- but there are certain ballparks where striking out is just plain embarrassing.
During pre-game warm-ups in particular opposing ballparks, I always keep an ear out for the announcement of the starting lineups- that’s usually when the bomb gets dropped. “Batting 5th for the Bloggers, Number 22, Center Fielder, Scotty Smalls!” Wait for it… “Folks, Smalls is tonight's ‘K-Man’- if he is to strike out during any of his at-bats, all beer will be sold for $1.00 for the rest of the inning. Be sure to make some noise!” Shit.
Sure the name and prize may change- I’ve heard ‘Fry Guy’ striking out for free French fries, ‘Beer Batter’ punching out for discounted brewskies, and one stadium even had a ‘Go-Nuts Hitter’ getting rung up for, you guessed it, free peanuts- but regardless of the incentive, the crowd wants it. They want it bad.
You try to flush it out of your mind, and you’re doing a pretty good job of it- but then you get to two strikes. The crowd that hasn't made a peep all night is now going crazy. In one pitch they went from comatose to fanatical- when did it suddenly become Game 7 of the World Series? You step out of the box having never known a free hot dog could mean so much to 5,000 people. It’s funny- you always try to avoid striking out, but it’s like now you’re really trying. Trying too hard, perhaps. Strike three! The place goes crazy, stadium employees start running around distributing the free prizes, and your walk back to the dugout is longer than ever.
Hey, you may be embarrassed, but to thousands of people, you’re a hero.
